User Guide

LIMITED WARRANTY AND LICENSE AGREEMENT (S0FTWARE)

Adventus Incorporated - Piano Suite
Adventus Incorporated is confident that the software it produces meets its own high
standards and those of its customers. With that in mind, the following warranty is
offered to the original purchaser of Adventus Incorporated's products.
BY USING THE SOFTWARE INCLUDED WITH THIS AGREEMENT YOU WILL
INDICATE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS OF THIS LEGAL AGREEMENT
BETWEEN YOU, THE END USER, AND ADVENTUS INCORPORATED. THE
SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING ITEMS ARE PROVIDED TO YOU ONLY
UPON THE CONDITION THAT YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS
AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT
AND DO NOT WANT YOUR ACT OF USING THE SOFTWARE TO INDICATE
YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, PROMPTLY
RETURN THE SOFTWARE TOGETHER WITH ALL ACCOMPANYING ITEMS TO
YOUR DEALER FOR A FULL REFUND.
LIMITED USE LICENSE. Adventus and its suppliers grant you the right to use one
copy of the Program for your personal use only. The Program is owned by Adventus
as set forth in the Program or associated documentation and is protected by
Canadian copyright laws and international treaties. All rights not expressly granted
are reserved by Adventus or its suppliers.
YOU MAY:
transfer the Program to a single hard disk, provided that you keep the original
disk(s) solely for backup or archival purposes.
Transfer the complete Program Package on a permanent basis, provided that
you retain no copies and the recipient agrees in writing to the terms of this
Agreement.
YOU MAY NOT:
Use the Program on more than one computer terminal or workstation at the same
time.
Make copies of the materials accompanying the Program, or make copies of the
Program except as provided above.
Use the Program in a network or other multi-user arrangement or on an
electronic bulletin board system or other remote access arrangement.
Rent, lease, license or otherwise transfer the Program without the express
written consent of Adventus Incorporated except that you may transfer the
complete Program package on a permanent basis as provided above.
Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works of the
program.
Use any extra set of disk(s) or CD-ROM on another computer or loan, rent, lease
or transfer them to another user except as part of the permanent transfer of the
entire Program Package.
Copy or sell the custom library files saved in the Adventus proprietary format.
LIMITED WARRANTY.
Adventus Incorporated's sole warranty is that the program media will be free from
defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a 150 day period from the
date of receipt by the customer and that the program operation will substantially
conform to the description in this manual during that 150 day period, or we will, at our
option, replace the software or refund your purchase price upon your return of the
software to us, postage prepaid along with a copy of your receipt.
EXCLUSIVE REMEDY.
Adventus Incorporated's entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at
Adventus Incorporated's option, either (a) the repair or replacement of the Program
that does not meet the Adventus Limited Warranty and which is returned to Adventus
with a copy of your receipt: or (b) a refund of the price, if any, which you paid for the
Program and associated materials as substantiated with proof of purchase. TO
MAKE A WARRANTY CLAIM, PLEASE RETURN THE PROGRAM PACKAGE
TOGETHER WITH YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE TO YOUR DEALER OR
ADVENTUS DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. This Limited Warranty is void if
the failure of the CD-ROM has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any
replacement Program will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty
period or 150 days, whichever is longer.
NO OTHER WARRANTIES, WITH RESPECT TO THE PROGRAM, PROGRAM
MEDIA AND THE ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS, ADVENTUS AND ITS
SUPPLIERS, IF ANY, DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, OTHER THAN THE ABOVE
WARRANTY BY ADVENTUS EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ADVENTUS DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE
PROGRAM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE OPERATION OF
THE PROGRAM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE.
LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL ADVENTUS OR ITS
SUPPLIERS, IF ANY, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER
(INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY
LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM
OR PROGRAM PACKAGE, EVEN IF ADVENTUS OR ITS SUPPLIERS, IF ANY,
HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO
EVENT WILL ADVENTUS INCORPORATED'S LIABILITY FOR ANY REASON
EXCEED THE ACTUAL PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SPECIFIC
PROGRAM, BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES,
THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
The music included in Piano Suite is intended for private use only. Public
performance, broadcast or cable transmission, or other use is expressly prohibited.
It is a violation of copyright law to print the music contained in the Piano Suite in the
form of standard music notation without the express written permission of the
copyright owner.
The software is the property of Adventus Incorporated. Adventus Incorporated
reserves the right to make any changes, additions, or improvements to this software
or documentation at any time without notice to any person or organization. The
documentation may not be copied in whole or in part without written consent from
Adventus Incorporated. Program graphics may not appear exactly the same as
illustrated in this manual.
Piano Suite, in all or any version(published by ADVENTUS INCORPORATED)
copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 ADVENTUS INCORPORATED. Adventus
Software, the Adventus Software Logo, Piano Suite, the Piano Suite Logo, Seor
Semitone, and the name Adventus Incorporated are trademarks of ADVENTUS
INCORPORATED. All rights reserved.
All images and text used involving Windows95 are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technology Ltd.
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. The Program and
documentation are provided with restricted rights. Use duplication, or
disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in the
Copyright Act as applicable. The Contractor/Manufacturer is Adventus
Incorporated, 3667 Strawberry Hill, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 5A8.
SAVE THIS LICENSE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
IMPORTANT - READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS
PRODUCT
LICENSE AGREEMENT AND LIMITED WARRANTY (HARDWARE)
Adventus Incorporated - Piano Suite
Adventus Incorporated is confident that the software it produces, and the hardware
shipped with its products, meets its own high standards and those of its customers.
With that in mind, the following warranty is offered to the original purchaser of
Adventus Incorporated's products.
CONDITIONS OF WARRANTY.
If, during the 150 day period following the date of original purchase, your Piano Suite
Bundle (including any software program or hardware component(s) is found by
Adventus to have a defect in material or workmanship, upon proof of purchase,
Adventus will repair the defect without charge for material and labor. In the event
Adventus determines that the defect cannot be repaired, Adventus may replace the
defective Piano Suite Bundle hardware or Software with an identical Piano Suite
Bundle or Components, or one which is reasonably equivalent.
OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Send the accompanying Registration Card to Adventus Incorporated within ten
days after your purchase.
2. Notify Adventus of any defects within ten days of the discovery of the problem.
3. If directed by Adventus, return your Piano Suit Bundle or Component to Adventus
so that we may inspect and approve warranty service. Warranty service shall be
completed within a reasonable period of time.
4. Please read your User Manual carefully and become familiar with the proper
maintenance and care of your Piano Suite software and any accompanying hardware.
WARRANTY SHALL NOT EXTEND TO:
1. Piano Suite Software or Components that have been subjected to abnormal strain,
neglect, abuse, modification or accidental damage.
2. The result of normal wear and tear.
3. Piano Suite Software or Components whose trademark, name or identification
number has been changed or removed.
4. Anyone other than the original purchaser.
5. Piano Suite Software or Components sold outside Canada and the United States.
WITH RESPECT TO THE PIANO SUITE SOFTWARE AND COMPONENTS,
ADVENTUS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OTHER THAN THE ABOVE
WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
ADVENTUS INCORPORATED'S ENTIRE LIABILITY AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE
REMEDY SHALL BE AT ADVENTUS INCORPORATED'S OPTION, EITHER (A)
THE REPAIR; OR (B) THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PIANO SUITE SOFTWARE
OR COMPONENT THAT DOES NOT MEET ADVENTUS INCORPORATED'S
LIMITED WARRANTY AND WHICH IS RETURNED TO ADVENTUS
INCORPORATED'S WITH PROOF OF PURCHASE.
WHERE PERMITTED BY LAW, ADVENTUS INCORPORATED EXCLUDES AND
SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE PIANO SUITE OR
COMPONENTS, EVEN IF ADVENTUS INCORPORATED HAS BEEN ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL ADVENTUS
INCORPORATED'S LIABILITY FOR ANY REASON EXCEED THE ACTUAL PRICE
PAID FOR PIANO SUITE.
SOFTWARE LICENSE STATEMENT
ADVENTUS INCORPORATED grants you the right to use one copy of the Software
for personal use only. The Software and music included in Software are protected by
Canadian copyright law and international treaties. Certain music is licensed by
ADVENTUS INCORPORATED from third parties.
You may not copy the Software or music except that you may transfer the Software
on a permanent bases, provided that you retain no copies of the Software.
The music included in Piano Suite is intended for private use only. Public
performance, broadcast or cable transmission, or other use is expressly prohibited.
It is a violation of copyright law to print the music contained in Piano Suite in the form
of standard music notation without the express written permission of the copyright
owner.
The software is the property of Adventus Incorporated. Adventus Incorporated
reserves the right to make any changes, additions, or improvements to this software
or documentation at any time without notice to any person or organization. The
documentation may not be copied in whole or in part without written consent from
Adventus Incorporated. Program graphics may not appear exactly the same as
illustrated in this manual.
Upgrading
Upgrade Piano Suite to Piano Suite Premier Edition Now!
When you upgrade to the Premier Edition of Piano Suite you are expanding your
musical horizons.
The Premier Edition music library comes packed with over 500 pieces including 65
licensed pieces and over 60 national anthems. The variety of music you enjoyed
with Piano Suite carries on in Piano Suite Premier, ensuring that there is something
for all skill levels and musical tastes.
The Premier edition allows you to compose and save your own original musical
arrangements using Composers Corner. These files can then be used by others in
the Piano Player as learning pieces or can be uploaded to the Adventus web site,
and shared by other Piano Suite Premier users. This allows you unlimited resources
in the building of your custom music library.
Piano Suite Premier also comes with the Editor to fine tune your own compositions
or edit imported MIDI files and save them to your Custom Library. With it you can
create and edit notation and add graphics to your musical score.
Teachers are given administrative options in the setup of Piano Suite Premier to aid
in the implementation of the program into their curriculum. This, in combination with
all the other useful features of Piano Suite Premier, makes it an invaluable tool for
instructors and students alike.
NEW! Use Piano Suite Premier to learn or teach over the net! Teachers can connect
to one or more students for an enjoyable and effective lesson over the internet, or in
a classroom. One click gives teachers control of students PC, real-time review of
student play, a virtual dictation book for self paced activities, two way voice, text chat,
student reporting, and more! Network Piano Suite also puts a remote instructor
virtually at your desk for a productive individual or group lesson. This service is
available to all music schools, instructors and students. All you need is Piano Suite
Premier.
To upgrade, or to receive more information, visit our web site: www.adventus.com,
or call 1-888-999-MIDI (1-888-999-6434).
Customer Support
Adventus provides unlimited customer support. Customer support is free to all
registered users. Please mail, e-mail or fax your registration card today.
Please refer to Adventus Piano Suite documentation and on-line help before
contacting customer support. When you call for customer support, please be at your
computer and have your documentation at hand. Be prepared to provide the following
information.
1. Piano Suite serial number.
2. Registered users name.
3. Product version number (located in the About box from the Help menu)
4. The wording of any error messages that appear on your screen.
5. A list of what steps were taken leading up to the problem.
Adventus customer support is available as follows:
Phone 1-888-999-6434 or 1-902-453-4464
Monday through Friday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM Atlantic Standard Time
Fax 1-902-453-4168
Internet support@adventus.com
Table of Contents
1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.0 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Keyboard Connection in 5 Easy Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Installation of Piano Suite Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Your Computers Display Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 Before We Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Starting Piano Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.0 From the Top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1 The Log In Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2 A tour of the Main Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 Piano player Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.0 Song Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.1 Metronome Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4 Using Piano Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.0 Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.1 The Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.2 Select Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.3 Learning Methods - Wait for Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.4 Learning Methods - Rhythm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.5 Learning methods - Notes and Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.6 Show Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.7 Show Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.8 Sound Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.9 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5 Theory Thinker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.0 The Theory Thinker Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.1 Learning With Theory Thinker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.2 Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5.3 Reopening Theory Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
5.4 Theory Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6 Composers Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
6.0 Setup to Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
6.1 Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
6.2 Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
6.3 Load From MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
7 History Happens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
8 Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
8.0 Game Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
8.1 Music Concentration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
8.2 Replay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
8.2a How to Replay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
8.2b Replay Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
8.3 Seor Semitones Grand Staff Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
8.3a Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
8.3b Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
8.3c How to Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
8.3d Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
9 Personal Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
9.0 Theory Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
9.1 Piano Practice Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
10 Superior Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
10.0 User Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
10.1 File Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
10.2 More Ways to Customize Piano Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
11 Piano Suite for the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
11.0 Teacher Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
11.1 Student Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
11.2 Adventus Internet Music Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
11.3 Adventus Internet Music Studio for the Online Student . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
11.3a Student Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
11.3b Start-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
11.3c Classroom Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
11.4 Adventus Internet Music Studio for the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
11.4a Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
11.4b Start-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
11.4c Internet Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
11.5 Benefits for the Music Conservatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
11.6 Online Educational Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
12 Music Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
12.0 Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
12.1 Editing Your Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
12.2 Recording More Than Four Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
13 Phantom Piano Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
1
1
Getting Started
1.0 System Requirements
The following system requirements will ensure that the Piano Suite software will
run on your computer.
Windows95/98/ME/2000/XP
Minimum 32 MB RAM.
Minimum 4X CD-ROM drive.
Pentium 100Mhz or better.
Minimum 256 color display at 800 X 600 resolution (true color
recommended).
100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card (wave table
synthesis highly recommended).
Standard MIDI keyboard with cable.
1.1 Keyboard Connection in 5 Easy Steps
IMPORTANT: Your computer must be turned off before connecting or disconnecting
any cables.
Step1. Attach the 15 pin male connector of the MIDI cable to the joystick port of
your sound card.
Make sure that your speakers are plugged into
the appropriate port of your sound card.
2
Step2. Plug the MIDI cable
connector marked MIDI
IN to the MIDI OUT port
of the keyboard.
Step3. Insert the power adapter
cord into the jack
marked DC-IN 9V.
Step4. Plug the adapter
into a convenient
wall outlet.
Step5. Push the ON/OFF
switch on the keyboard
to ensure that you have
power to the keyboard. The
red light inside the switch
should be lit.
1.2 Installation of Piano Suite Software
Step1. Place the Piano Suite CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive of your computer.
3
The Auto-run screen will appear.
If the Auto-run screen does not appear, Left click on the
Windows Start button and select Run from the menu. In the box
which appears type in the following line: d:\autorun.exe (where
d: is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive) and click the OK
button. The Auto-run screen will appear. Proceed to Step2.
Step2. Click INSTALL on the Auto-run screen. Follow the
directions on the screen as the install program
performs the Piano Suite Software installation.
1.3 Your Computers Display Properties
After Piano Suite has been successfully installed, there is one more setting on
your computer to check and adjust if necessary.
4
Step1. Click on the Windows Start button and select
Settings from the menu.
Step2. From the next menu which appears
select Control Panel and click on it.
Step3. From the screen that appears, click on
the Display icon. The Display
Properties window will appear.
Step4. Click on the Settings tab on the Display Properties window.
Step5. Where it reads Desktop Area, slide the control left or right until the text
underneath the slider reads 800 X 600 pixels.
Step6. Click on Color Palette and choose High Color (16 bit).
Step7. Click on Font Size and choose Large Fonts.
5
1.4 Before We Begin
Okay, we are almost ready to start!
Make sure you are sitting comfortably in front of your computer with the MIDI
keyboard in front of you and that you have easy access to your mouse and computer
keyboard.
Go over the following short checklist to ensure that you are prepared and then well
begin our look at Piano Suites many features and capabilities.
Pre-Start Checklist:
7 Is your MIDI cable correctly attached to the game port of your computers
sound card, and MIDI keyboard (MIDI IN connects to MIDI OUT, MIDI OUT
connects to MIDI IN)?
7 Is the MIDI keyboards adapter plugged into an electrical outlet and the
keyboard turned on?
7 Is the Piano Suite CD-ROM placed in the CD-ROM drive? If you chose a
minimal Install (step 2 on Page 3), the CD-ROM must always be present in
the CD-ROM drive while you use this software. This is due to the large
library of music, images and animation that accompanies Piano Suite.
Before you begin using Piano Suite, you must ensure that your keyboard and sound
system are properly configured. The Keyboard Config Wizard is designed to guide
you through this process.
Step1. To start this program, click on the Windows Start button. Select Programs
> PianoSuite > Keyboard Config Wizard.
The Keyboard Config Wizard will appear on your screen.
6
Step2. Click on the Start button and follow the step by step
instructions within the Keyboard Config Wizard.
Once you have setup successfully using the Keyboard Config
Wizard, you are ready to take part in Piano Suite.
7
2
Starting Piano Suite
2.0 From the Top
Step1. Click on the Windows Start button. Select Programs > Adventus >
PianoSuite > Piano Suite.
After a few Moments you will see the Adventus Piano Suite logo, and a group of
dancing notes as you hear the opening music (see Section 10.2 to find out how to
customize the opening music).
Click anywhere on the screen to enter Piano Suite. If you have not already configured
your MIDI settings using the Keyboard Config Wizard, you will be presented with a
MIDI input and output device selection form.
Select each MIDI Input Device option available to you from the drop-down list. Test
each of these by playing some keys on your keyboard to hear the quality of the
sound, if any. Select the input device that produces the highest quality sound when
tested.
Experiment with the various options available in the MIDI Output Device drop-down
list of every MIDI device available on your sound card. Click on the Test button
beside this list to test each of the output devices. A message box will appear and you
may hear MIDI music. Not all output devices listed will transmit sound on your
computer. After listening to each test, click the OK button on the message box which
appears, and test any other options that are in the list. Select the device which
produces the highest quality sound when tested.
The options available for input and output devices may vary with different computers
and may not be the same as is shown in this manual.
Note: Some of the options examined throughout the remainder of this manual are
only available in Piano Suite Premier Edition. Refer to the Upgrading page at the
start of this book.
8
2.1 The Log In Screen
Every time you open Piano Suite, you will have to enter your name in the Log In
screen. The following steps will enter your name and password so that you may
personalize your settings in the program.
Step1. Click on the New User Button.
Step2. Type in your name and create a
password in the form that appears.
Step3. Click Okay to submit your password.
Piano Suites main screen will appear.
The Delete User button removes the selected users name from the list. This also
removes all records of that users work including piano player and theory evaluations,
and all compositions created by that user. Use the file location options (described
in Chapter 10) to copy the records to a new location, on your computer or on disk,
before deleting a user.
If you have previously logged on to Piano Suite use the following instructions:
Step1. Click on your name in the log in screen and then click the Log In button.
Step2. If you have a password, a pop up screen will appear and prompt you for
your password. Type in your password and press Enter.
9
2.2 A tour of the Main Screen
The Main Screen is Piano Suites command central. From here you can navigate to
any of the following areas Piano Suite.
Piano Player: Listen to and practice any of the songs in the Piano Suite
library (over 500 pieces in Piano Suite Premier) using the unique
interactive Adventus learning methods. Piano Player is described in
Chapter 4.
Theory Thinker: The theory lessons and exercises are contained here.
It is highly recommended that you first complete all of the theory lessons
in order to fully understand and benefit from all other areas of Piano
Suite. Theory Thinker is described in Chapter 5.
Composer's Corner: (Piano Suite Premier only) Compose, record, edit,
print and save your own pieces. Composers Corner is described in
Chapter 6.
History Happens: An historical look at some of the world's greatest
composers and performers. History Happens is described in Chapter 7.
Games: Fun and challenging games to provide breaks which are
educational and entertaining. The Games are described in Chapter 8.
10
Settings: Customize your Piano Suite experience. Superior Settings is
described in Chapter 10.
Profile: Tracks your progress through the Theory Thinker
and keeps a tally of your game and exercise scores.
Personal Profile is described in Chapter 9.
Classroom: Opens the
Internet Music Studio
interface for instructor-led
lessons over the Internet
or a LAN connection.
Internet Music Studio is
described in Chapter 11.
Exit: Closes the Piano Suite program.
About Adventus: A brief message from the company that brought you Piano Suite.
A sound is produced whenever the mouse pointer is over a button on the Main
Screen. You can change this sound right clicking on each button to open the Change
Instrument window. Right click on the instrument image to open a drop-down list of
sounds to choose from. The pitch and velocity can be adjusted by using the MIDI
keyboard or by dragging the sliders.
11
3
Piano player Setup
3.0 Song Setup
After selecting Piano Player from the main screen, the Song Setup screen will
appear. Song Setup allows you to select a musical piece from the Piano Suite library
of music and choose settings for font size, hand position and the metronome.
The following options are found on the Song Setup
screen:
Select a Library to choose songs from.
The Piano Suite library contains the pieces from all of the following musical
categories: Anthem, Childrens, Christmas, Classical, Country, Jazz, Blues, Popular,
Rock, Folk, Religious, and Traditional. These pieces range from Level 1 difficulty
through to Level 5. Refer to the Theory Thinker (Chapter 5) to see how the level of
difficulty is categorized.
12
The Theory library displays only the practice pieces implemented in the Theory
lessons.
The Custom library allows you to select the songs that you have recorded for use in
the Piano Player. When Custom library is selected, you have the option of deleting
any unwanted custom pieces. This is done by clicking on a piece to select it and then
pressing the Delete button.

1. Enter the title of the song you want to listen
to or practice in Piano Player. Type in the first
few letters of the piece you are seeking and
the matching selection will be revealed in the
song list.
2. Select the piece you want displayed in
Piano Player.
3. Select the level and category of songs to choose
from.
To select by level, click the check box located on the left
of the Level box to activate this option. Click the drop-
down arrow on the right and select your desired level of
difficulty (level 1 being the easiest). Only the pieces of
that level will appear in the list box.
This makes it easy for a beginner to practice only the
simple pieces of level 1 before moving on to level 2.
Use the same method to select by Category if you want to listen to or practice a
specific genre of music.
4. Click on the Metronome Choose Tempo image to adjust
metronome settings.
The current setting for quarter notes per minute is indicated below
this icon.
13
5. Select the font size by clicking on the small, medium or large note.


Small font selected
Medium font selected

Large font selected
6. Choose which hand you would like to play for each piece. As you click on each
musical selection, the default hand for that piece which will be displayed. Click on
either hand to select or deselect it.
14
Left hand (bass clef) Right hand (treble clef) Both hands (grand staff)
7. Press the Continue button to go to the Piano Player after
selecting the musical piece and changing any settings.
8. Cancel will close this screen and return you to the main
menu.
3.1 Metronome Setup
Clicking on the Metronome Choose Tempo image brings up the Metronome Setup
screen. It is here that you adjust the metronome settings such as the tempo of the
music. The musical pieces contained in the Piano Suite library have their own default
settings, however at first you may want to slow the tempo for some selections in order
to practice them.
15
The following options are available on the Metronome Setup screen:
To adjust the tempo, click and drag the slider left or right. The lower the setting, the
slower the tempo. Press the Test button to hear the how the metronome will sound.
Press it again to stop testing. The Test button is labeled Close during the sound
preview.
Click on the image under Metronome Instruments to
display a list a instruments that you can use for the
metronome sound. Double click on the name of the
instrument you want to select it. Its image will appear on
the page.
Adjust the Pitch and Velocity of the
instrument by dragging the sliders.
Select Voice to hear the metronome beats
counted out while playing a piece. Select MIDI to
hear the beats sounded out by an instrument.
Use this to set how many bars the metronome will count
through before you begin playing in Notes and Timing mode,
or in Composers Corner.
Select how many beats before the end of the current page that the next page will be
displayed. (If you select 2, the program will display the next page while last 2 beats
of the previous page are played.)
16
17
4
Using Piano Player
After choosing a song in the Song Setup screen, you will enter the Piano Player
screen, where the selected song will be displayed.
4.0 Buttons
The specialty buttons are located in the top-right corner of the Piano Player
screen. These include the following five:

Displays lyrics for current Displays publisher information
musical selection of current selection

Starts/Stops animation Starts/Stops audio recording*

* Audio recordings and animations are not available for all pieces.
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Displays Fingering for initial hand positioning on virtual keyboard.
Click this icon a second time to remove fingering numbers.
The player buttons are located along the toolbar near the bottom of the screen.
Bass clef Grand staff Treble clef
Starting at the left, the first three buttons determine which hands will be displayed for
the current piece. These buttons function the same way as the select hands buttons
found in the Song Setup screen and are placed here for your convenience.
The next three buttons on the toolbar are used to select a small, medium, or large
font. These buttons are used in the same way as the select font size buttons that
appear in the Song Setup screen.
The function of the next four player buttons will be described later in this chapter.
Marks Bars Shows Selected Bars

Activates Wait for Note Activates Notes and Timing
Activates Rhythm
metronome speed

Pauses the playing of the piece by clicking once.
Resumes play on second click.
Resets to start of piece. Plays Piece.
Use Metronome
19
The buttons in the lower right corner of the Piano Player screen above the toolbar
allow you to flip through the pages of music. Simply click the mouse on the forward
arrow or the back arrow.
Right click anywhere on the Piano Player screen to open a small menu with the
following options.
Clear Screen resets a piece during play, or restarts Wait for Note mode.
Show keyboard displays the computer keyboard on the screen as piano keys. You
can use this to play the computer keyboard as you would play a MIDI keyboard.

The Computer Keyboard window displays the notes with their associated keys.
Middle C is the T key on your computer keyboard, and is represented as a large,
colored C in the keyboard piano guide.
This window must be opened in order to play the piece using your computer
keyboard.

Use the Resize button to shrink the keyboard piano guide when you feel that you no
longer need to view it in order to play using the computer keyboard. Click the Resize
button a second time to enlarge this window to its original size.
Using the computer keyboard to play piano may not develop practical playing skills.
It is merely offered to you as another playing option.
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4.1 The Menu Bar
The menu bar is located at the top of the Piano Player screen. It allows you to easily
access the controls and settings for the Piano Player. Starting from the left the menu
bar items are:
File: Items in the File menu include:
Edit: This feature allows you to modify a piece that you recorded in
Composers Corner.

Save As: Saves your composition to be used in Piano Player or as a
MIDI file. Edit and Save As are only available for custom library pieces in
Piano Suite Premier.
Print: Prints the score of the current musical piece.
Exit: Closes the Piano Player and the current musical selection.
Pieces: Items in the Pieces menu include:
Select Music: Opens the song setup screen so you may choose
another musical piece.
Play Piece: The Piano Player plays the piece you have chosen so you
can listen to it.
Learning Methods: Piano Suite incorporates three methods of learning
and evaluation. They are Rhythm, Wait for Note and Notes & Timing.
Setup: Items in the Setup menu include:
Sound, MIDI: Allows you to select different instruments for each hand
and to adjust volume levels for the Wave and MIDI output. This screen will
be explained in more detail later in this chapter.
Keyboard: Set the size of the virtual keyboard shown at the bottom of
the Piano Player screen. This setting defaults to a 49 key keyboard but
you may change it to match the size keyboard you are using.
Font Size: Set the font size of the score. See previous chapter for an
illustration of comparative font sizes.
Select Hands: Choose to view the score as only the right hand (treble clef),
left hand (bass clef) or both hands (grand staff).

21
Select Bar: Allows you to select a portion from within the musical piece
to listen to or to practice. This will be explained in more detail later in this
chapter.

Metronome Settings: Adjust metronome settings in the Metronome
Setup screen.
Main Menu: Listed under the heading Main Menu are shortcuts to the various
areas of Piano Suite that are also accessible from the Main Screen. For a brief
description of each, refer to pages 9, 10.
Help: Items in the Help menu include:
Contents: Opens the Piano Suite Help file.
About Adventus: Contact information and a brief introduction to our
company and this product.
4.2 Select Bar
Select Bars allows you to extract part of the musical score so that you may listen to
or practice it. This is useful when learning longer pieces or the more difficult parts of
a piece. You may use this option with Play Piece to listen to the selected part of the
song or with either of the learning methods described in the following pages. To use
this feature, select Setup > Select Bar > Mark Bars or click the Mark Bars button.

Step 1. Place the mouse pointer over the
bar line of the first measure you want
selected and click. The bar line will
change to red.
Step 2. Place the mouse pointer over the
bar line at the end of the last measure
you want selected and click. The bar line
will turn red.
22
Step 3. Click on Show Bars to display the bars you selected.
4.3 Learning Methods - Wait for Note
The Wait for Note learning method allows you to practice playing the correct note
without worrying about the timing. This method is useful for learning the correct
fingering of the piece and becoming comfortable with playing the notes
before working on the timing of the piece.
Choose Wait for Note by clicking on the Wait for Note button or by
selecting it in the menu under Pieces > Learning Methods.
A checkmark appears beside Wait for Note in the menu to indicate that this mode is
active.
23
If you need help with your hand positioning for a selected piece, click the
fingering icon located in the upper right corner of the Piano Player screen.
The initial fingering for the piece will be displayed on the virtual keyboard at the
bottom of the screen. The left hand will appear as red numbers and the right hand
as green numbers. As you learn in the theory lessons, it is your fingers that are
numbered - not the keys on the keyboard. The keys played with any of the fingers
may change as you proceed through the piece.
When you have your hands placed correctly and are ready to begin, follow along with
the numbered notes on the musical score. You will notice that when you correctly play
a note the note will change to green and you may proceed to the next note.
24
If you make a mistake, you will be prevented from continuing on to the next note until
you play correctly. When practicing using both hands, your playing may be halted if
you fail to hold a note in one hand that is intended to remain held as you play the
other hand. You must also release the note at the correct time if you are to play the
next note for the other hand. Make sure that you pay attention to the key signature
of the notes.
If your error was playing an incorrect note, a red x will
appear on the location of the note you played. By moving
up or down the keyboard you will find the correct note.
The note will then turn green and you will then be able to
proceed to the next note.
It is important not to get in the habit of just following the numbers. Complete the
theory exercises related to learning the notes and their placement on the staff. Doing
this will increase your comprehension of music theory and allow you to be less
dependent on the numbered fingering.
Wait for Note is the best area to practice any piece until you are very comfortable
with the notes and the length of time each note is held. Once you have become
comfortable playing the song using the Wait for Note method, proceed to the Notes
and Timing method and build on the ability you have acquired.
The Wait For Note method defaults to a 'strict' assessment mode, which forces the
user to hold notes the correct relative length of time. Should you want to proceed
more freely through the song, you may use the menu to select Pieces > Learning
Methods > Wait For Note > Preferences to make the Wait For Note Method less
strict. This may be more appropriate for intermediate or advanced players, once they
have some familiarity with the piece.
To deactivate Wait for Note mode, click on Wait for Note in the menu or simply
click on the Wait for Note button.
4.4 Learning Methods - Rhythm
You will often find that a piece of music will require you to play one rhythm in the
right hand and a different rhythm in the left hand at the same time. By selecting
Rhythm with Notes and Timing you can focus all of your attention on the rhythm of
the song. Once you have perfected the rhythms of a song, you can then proceed
to the Notes and Timing method.
Step1. Click on the Rhythm button, or select Pieces > Learning
Methods > Rhythm from the menu bar. You will now see a
single note rhythm on each staff.
25
Step2. Press the Play button to hear each part and to look at the
rhythms.
Step3. Now click on the Notes and Timing button and select an
appropriate tempo.
Step4. Play the piece by performing the rhythms you see on the staff. Although
you are pressing only one key with each hand, you will hear the melody
and a basic left hand part.
4.5 Learning methods - Notes and Timing
The Notes and Timing method is a more advanced form of evaluation. This
procedure evaluates your piano playing by deciding whether or not the correct notes
are being played and assessing the timing of the notes.
This method uses the metronome, or timer. Once the metronome has begun
counting, the piece has begun. The length of time, in bars (or measures) of music,
that the metronome counts before beginning the piece is selectable in the
Metronome Setup (Chapter 3).
If the time signature for the piece is 4/4, and the number of lead in bars is set to
1,then the metronome will count four beats before the music starts.
It is advisable to choose a slow tempo before you begin, so you are not under as
much pressure.
Step1. Record and Evaluate is the first step in the Notes and Timing method.
Here you will play the piece you have selected, paying close attention to the
timing of your playing as well as to the playing of the correct notes. From the
menu bar in Piano Player, select Pieces > Learning Methods > Notes and
Timing > Record and Evaluate or click the Notes and Timing button.
Step2. Place your fingers in the correct position on the keyboard, if you need
assistance, click on the finger position icon in the upper right corner.
Step3. Press any key to begin playing along with the Piano Player. The metronome
will begin and a countdown will appear on the top left of the screen. The
notes will turn green to indicate where the metronome is in the music.
Step4. Play the piece through to the end.
26
For the first several tries, it may be practical to limit the number of bars (measures)
you practice at one time (Select Bar is explained on page 21). You may also choose
to try this evaluation method using only the right or left hand.
To restart the Notes and Timing recording, double click anywhere on the screen. This
resets Notes and Timing mode so that the recording will begin again after you press
a key on the MIDI keyboard. The double click restart can be used while recording in
Notes and Timing mode, or while in the Show Errors screen.

4.6 Show Errors
After you have recorded your playing using Record and Evaluate, Show Errors is
activated to view an assessment of your playing.
A window will appear, prompting you to save. You must choose Save if you would like
to have your recording entered into the Piano Practice Report (Page 64). Saving
your recording also enables your practice to be viewed when Show Recording (page
28) is activated.
27
Your play is assessed using the following criteria:
1. Note not held long enough 4. Missing note
2. Note held too long 5. Incorrect note (played too early)
3. Incorrect note played 6. Incorrect note (played too late)
The type of error, and the number of times each error was made in the playing of the
piece, will be displayed on the bottom of screen.
To view the errors for a bar of music, click on the yellow exclamation icon
located in the bottom left corner of the bar.
A view of the bar and the correct and incorrect notes played in that bar will be
displayed.
28
The text at the bottom of the screen will describe the errors for the current bar of
music. Selecting a line of text describing an error displays that error in the window.
Click on the first line of text and use the up and down arrow keys to view any other
errors in the current bar. Use the left and right arrow keys to view any other bars
with errors.
To deactivate Notes and Timing mode, click on Show Errors in the menu, or click the
Notes and Timing button.
4.7 Show Recording
Select Show Recording from the Notes and Timing menu.
Show Recording allows you to view and listen to your
last saved practice for a selected piece, as you have
played it. The Show Recording command can be used with any piece that you have
practiced in Notes and Timing mode. Every time you practice a piece in Notes and
Timing, and choose to save it, the current practice will overwrite any previous practice
for that particular piece.
While you have Show Recording selected, you can also select Show Errors from
the Notes and Timing menu to review any mistakes made during your practice.
4.8 Sound Setup
The Sound Setup screen is opened by selecting Setup from the menu bar and then
clicking Sound, MIDI.
29
The Sound Setup screen has the following options and settings:
MIDI Volume: Adjusts the volume of the MIDI output by sliding the control left or right.
MIDI volume is used for the sound produced by your MIDI keyboard, and also in the
playing of a piece by the Piano Player in Piano Suite.
Wave Volume: Adjusts the volume of the wave output by sliding the control left or
right. In Piano Suite, wave volume is used in the playing of voice recordings such as
in the Song Setup and Theory Thinker narration. Sounds within animations, and audio
recordings for a piece are also controlled by wave volume.
MIDI Through: When enabled, all messages received from the MIDI IN device are
sent to the MIDI OUT device. You may wish to disable this if your MIDI IN device
is the same as your MIDI OUT device, and you cannot disable local control on this
device. A symptom of this is an echo, or multiple instruments playing when you
press keys on your MIDI keyboard.
Constant Keyboard Velocity: When this function is enabled on a velocity-
sensitive keyboard, all keys will sound at the same volume, regardless of how fast
or slow each key is hit.
Select MIDI Device: Click this button to open a window in which you may select
the most suitable MIDI input and output devices from each drop-down list (refer to
page 7).
30
User Input Channel: Use this to choose an instrument other than the default
instrument for each hand. Click on the arrows to select and display one of 128
MIDI instruments and sound effects. You may also right click on the instrument
image to display and select from the entire list of MIDI instruments.
Other Channels: This button enters you into the multi-track screen. Change the
instrument for any track by right-clicking on the instrument graphic and selecting
another instrument from the list that appears. The volume for any track can be
adjusted independently by dragging the sliders or muting. The instrument at the far
left of this screen represents the User Input channel. All other tracks shown are
heard only when a piece is played by the Piano Player. The tracks labeled Left
and Right are the Treble and Bass tracks, the following tracks are
accompaniment. The Drum Track instrument cannot be changed.
31
Channel: Assign an instrument to a particular channel. Use
the arrow buttons to select channel. By default Piano Suite
uses Channel 1 for the right hand , Channel 2 for the left
hand, and Channel 10 for percussion.
Semitone: Change the location of Middle C on your keyboard one semitone at a
time. The small arrow below the keyboard image will show the current location for
the keyboard center.

Octave: Use intervals of an octave to assign a location for the keyboard center. By
default, Channel is set to 1, Semitone is set to 0, and Octave is set to 3.
4.9 Keyboard
On the menu bar, under Setup > Keyboard is a list of keyboard sizes for display
below the Piano Player screen. Choose the keyboard size that matches your MIDI
keyboard. The 49 key, shown below, is the default selection.
32
33
S
Theory Thinker
5.0 The Theory Thinker Screen
The Theory Thinker section helps you learn the fundamentals of music through easy
to follow lessons while allowing you to jump to the Piano Player engine and the theory
games to expand on the topics.
Theory Topics are listed on the left hand side of the Theory Thinker screen. These
range from basic understanding of how the piano got its name, to the interpreting of
the key signatures on a staff line, and beyond.
Pages for this Topic are the group of titles located on the right hand side of the
screen. These are the page headings within each selected theory topic.

The Theory Topics are categorized by skill level. The Skill Levels are color-coded
as shown in the legend above the Theory Topics list.
34
The Daily Director button, located in the upper left corner, is used to
bring you to the earliest theory topic that you have not completed.
The 8 buttons within the bottom section of the Theory Thinker screen lead into the
various games designed to test your music theory knowledge.
5.1 Learning With Theory Thinker
To start at the beginning of a topic, simply double click on a topic in the Theory
Topics list. The Piano Suite Program will take you directly to the first page of that
topic. You may proceed through the following pages at your own pace.
To start on a specific page, single click on the topic of your choice and then select a
page from the Pages for this Topic list.
It is recommended that you start at the beginning, The Piano.
Step1. Double click on The Piano in the Theory Topics list. The lesson page for
The Piano uses audio and visual elements to describe the development of
the Piano. A time slider will move across the bottom of the screen to indicate
the time remaining for the current page. You may press the Pause button on
the right of the time scroll bar at any time during the narration for the page.
At this point, you will notice that the Pause button becomes a Play button.
Drag the time slider and press the Play button to repeat any part of the
lesson for that page.
Step2. The Continue button is located in the bottom right corner of the screen and
is represented by an icon of Seor Semitone holding an arrow that points
rightward. Upon completion of a page, the Continue button will contain a
flashing arrow. Click on the Continue button to move to the next page,
Looking Inside the Instrument.
35
On this page of the theory, and all others to follow, you are also presented with the
Repeat option. The Repeat button is displayed in the bottom-left of the screen and
is represented by Seor Semitone holding a left-pointing arrow.
Click the Repeat button to restart the page that you are on. Double click the Repeat
button to restart on the previous page. You may use the Continue and Repeat buttons
at any time during each lesson.
Remember to do the theory lessons at your own pace, but always make sure that you
have a complete understanding of each lesson before going on to the next one. If you
get stuck and need a break, try one of the theory games which will help you improve
your skills as well as entertain you.
5.2 Exercises
When you come up to a lesson that involves practicing what it has taught you, the
forward arrow is used to jump out of the theory and into the Piano Player or one of the
games. In Piano Player you will be required to listen to a melody, or practice playing
a piece using either the Wait for Note or the Notes and Timing evaluation (pages
22-26). The evaluation method is automatically activated by Piano Player.

36
With each piece that you are asked to play, you have the option of viewing
an animation to demonstrate the proper hand placement for the piece.
Click on the Hand Position Video button to start the animation.
You may also click on the Fingering button to display the numbered hand
position on the Piano Player keyboard.
When you feel ready, you may begin playing the piece.
The forward and back buttons are also used within the Piano Player practice screen.
You must click on the forward arrow to continue on to the next page of the theory
lessons. Click the back arrow to repeat the exercise, or choose another piece to play
(where applicable).
37
If you are entered into a game screen, you will be asked to complete a short exercise
to test what youve learned. Try the exercise as many times as you want.
When you feel that you are ready to move on, exit the game by clicking the close
button in the top right corner of the game window. You will be brought to the page
where you left off and you may continue from there onto the next page of the lesson.
The games will be described later in this chapter.
5.3 Reopening Theory Lessons
If you have to leave your lessons don't worry about losing your position. When you
exit the lesson page, Piano Suite saves the lessons that you have completed and
displays a red checkmark on these pages. If you have completed all of the pages in
a given lesson topic, the topic title will bear a checkmark.
These check marks can be added or erased by you so that you can mark material
that you were not sure about for review. To add or erase check marks simply right
click on the check mark for the topic page that you want to change. This is very useful
in setting up start positions for students or children so that they can utilize the Daily
Director to take them to their assigned lessons.

38
The Daily Director button will automatically take you to the first page in
the list of lessons that you haven't finished, starting from page 1. For
example, if you have completed pages 1 to 20 and you un-check page
10 from the list, when you press the Daily Director button your lesson
will begin on page 10.
5.4 Theory Games
In addition to practical lessons, there are also useful games for developing your skills
on the piano. These games will help you develop recognition of note types, and note
placement, and provide` a break from theory lessons. When you successfully
complete a game, you will be cheered on by an animated character. You can choose
a character in the Superior Settings section of the program (Chapter 10).
Key Quest is activated by clicking on top-left game button.
Key Quest is used to develop a familiarity with note
placement on the keyboard. When you start this game up
you will be asked to find a set of keys matching a given note.
Once you located all the keys of that note, the game will
reset for you to find a different set of notes.
To reset manually, select File > New Game or press the delete key.
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Keyboard Note Search is activated by selecting the second
top-left game button.
Keyboard Note Search expands on the Key Quest theme except instead of asking
you for all the notes for a given name, you are asked to determine which note name
goes with a specified key. This game also makes use of the black keys which are a
bit tougher. You can use your computer keyboard, or use the mouse to click on the
letter of the key on the game screen. If you answer correctly, the given key will turn
green. You then move on to identify the next key note name given.
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Word Play is the third button in from the top-left.
Word Play requires a bit more skill in that you are asked to find the keys in the
correct order to spell out a word that it prompts you for. Every time you finish playing
a word, you are given another to try. Your game is over if you make 11 mistakes.
To begin a new game, select File > New game.
Your score is displayed on the bottom of the game screen. Total mistakes made are
shown on the bottom right. Select File > Save to save your game in your directory.
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Single Staff Note Placement is the bottom-left button.
This game requires some staff placement knowledge. Use your mouse to select the
correct location on the staff for the notes you are given. You can choose to be tested
on either the Treble or Bass Clef, and you can choose to include or exclude lines,
spaces, and ledger lines. These options are selectable under Settings in the Menu
bar.
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Grand Staff Note Placement is the second button in from
the bottom-left.
Grand Staff Note Placement also requires ample staff placement knowledge. This
game is much like Single Staff Note Placement, but here you must place given
notes on the grand staff. As in the previous, the staff goes from the E note below the
bass staff to Middle C and from Middle C to the A note above the treble staff.
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Grand Staff Spelling .is the third button in from the bottom-
left
Grand Staff Spelling requires ample knowledge of staff placement. This game is
similar to Word Play except that you are required to spell out a word by placing the
notes on the staff instead of on the keyboard. You will notice that the bass staff will
allow notes from the E below the staff up to Middle C. The treble staff allows from
Middle C to the A above the staff. Once a word is placed correctly, you will be
prompted for another word.
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The two game buttons on the bottom right are for Music
Concentration (top), and Replay (bottom). These games
are described in Chapter 8.

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6
Composers Corner
6.0 Setup to Record
The Composers Corner section of Piano Suite is used for recording your own music
one track (or part) at a time. Your piece can be saved to MIDI file format so that you
can listen to it with Windows Media Player. It can also be saved to a custom library,
which will allow someone else to learn it in the Piano Player.
Song Name: Here you must enter a title for your piece before
you begin recording.
Time Signature: Selectable from this drop-down list are time
signatures from 2/4 to 12/16.
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Key Signature: Use this drop-down list to select the number of
flats or sharps for your key signature. Refer to the theory lessons
to learn about key signature.

Level: Assign a level of difficulty to the piece you
are recording so that your compositions can be
organized in the Song Setup screen.
Category: Choose an appropriate category that
describes your composition. This is also useful
for Song Setup organization.
Recording Step: Sets the smallest note value. For example, if
the recording step is set to 1/8, the smallest note value recorded
will be no less than an 1/8 note.
Since it is difficult for a beginner student to produce music in perfect time, the
recording step can be used to forgive many timing errors to produce cleaner notation
that is easier to read. Beginners should set this feature to record in steps of 1/4.
Tempo: Here you can set the metronome speed in quarter notes per minute for the
piece that you will record. Even highly skilled players record single hands at or below
80 quarter notes per minute. When you are finished recording, choose the tempo you
would like to hear the piece played, then save your recording to MIDI.
Show Music: This button is used to view the recording of
your right hand, your left hand, or both hands in the Piano
Player. Here you can listen to the piece and perform any
necessary editing.
Select Hands: Before you begin recording, you must
choose to play with either your right hand (treble clef) or
your left hand (bass clef). You can show music or save
music, for the left, right or both hands.
Choose Instrument: Right click on the image to select an
instrument for the current hand from the list which appears.
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Metronome Setup is entered by clicking on the metronome image in
the bottom-left corner of the Composers screen.
Recording screen: The tempo is displayed here while you play. The
recording screen is divided into measures which appear as long,
vertical lines. Each measure is divided by the number of beats per
measure, which are displayed as short vertical lines.
Stop button. Record button.

6.1 Recording
Step1. Type in an original and descriptive name for your piece.
Step2. Select your desired time and key signatures and choose a recording step.
It is recommended that beginners leave these settings at default values.
Step3. Select a level and category which best describes your piece.
Step4. Adjust the tempo setting.
Step5. Select the hand (or staff) you want to record. If you are recording a piece
which uses both hands, record the right hand first, then record the left. Make
sure that only one hand is selected.
Step6. Choose an appropriate instrument. The instrument can be changed later in
the Piano Player.
Step7. Click on the record button to initiate the record mode.
Step8. Press a key on the MIDI keyboard to
start the metronome. A countdown will
be displayed on the left, above the
recording screen. Recording will not start
until the end of the countdown.
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By default, the countdown will last for one measure before the metronome indicator
begins to move across the recording screen. You can select the amount of lead in
bars that are used for the countdown in the Metronome Setup screen (see page 15).
Step9. Begin playing your piece.
Step10. When you are finished playing, click on the stop button.
Step11. Once you have finished recording, the bar below the recorded
hand will turn green and the Show Music button will appear.
Step12. Click on the Show Music button and your recording will be displayed in the
Piano Player.
Step13. Click the play button to listen to your recording.
To edit the piece, select File > Edit or click the Edit button on the toolbar. Once this
mode is activated, you can change the value and location of individual notes. Your
recording can be reopened at any time for editing, provided that it has been saved to
library. The editing process is described on the following pages.

If you are not satisfied with your composition, close the Piano Player and record the
same hand again to overwrite the current recording with a new one by repeating
steps: 2-13.
To save the recording, select File > Save As from the Piano Player menu bar and
select either Library (private) or Library (public). If saved in the private library, the
piece will be accessible only to the person who saved it, for use in the Piano Player
or Editor. If saved to the public library, the piece will be accessible from within the
Piano Player to any user.
If you would like to save your recording so that it can be played with any MIDI player,
select File > Save As > MIDI. A file saved in this format can be opened for listening
by simply double-clicking on its fil0e name. This will automatically bring up the piece
in the Windows Media Player.
If you choose to compose the piece using both hands, complete the previous thirteen
steps and continue on as follows:
Step1. Close the Piano Player window and select the left hand in the Composers
Corner. The right hand should be deselected. Do not change the song
name.
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Step2. Click the record button to display your previous right-hand recording and
activate record mode. Press a key on the MIDI keyboard to start the
metronome. The countdown will be displayed in the top-left of the Piano
Player window. Remember, the recording doesnt begin until after the
countdown.
Step3. Play your piece for the left hand as the right-hand recording is played in
Piano Player. When you are finished playing, click the stop button located
in the bottom-left of the Piano Player screen. The indicator bar for the left
hand will turn green.
Step4. Click the Show Recording button to view, listen, and do any editing to your
piece. Save the left hand recording if you would like to reopen it for viewing
or listening.
Step5. Close the Piano Player screen and select both hands in the Composers
Corner screen. The Show Recording button can now be used to display the
combined composition as a grand staff recording.
You may use the Piano Player to view, listen, edit, and save the complete recording.
6.2 Editor
The editor can be accessed after pressing Show Music for the piece that you just
recorded, or by opening a custom piece or MIDI file in Composers Corner. To edit
your composition, select File > Edit from the Piano Player menu bar.
To open a piece for editing, select File > Load from Custom Library. You will be
presented with a Song Setup screen that lists all of your arrangements. This is used
in the same way as the Piano Player Song Setup described in Chapter 3.
The Editor tool bar containing the following buttons will appear.
Add Picture: This allows you to load a picture to be shown with the piece
when it is selected from the piano player.
Add Lyrics: Once your composition has been saved, you may click this
button to open a window for entering text such as lyrics. This text can then
be displayed when your composition is loaded into the Piano Player by
clicking on the show lyrics button on that form.
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Add Fingering: Click on this button, then click on any note to which you
want to assign fingering. A window with a cursor will appear above the
selected note for you to type in a fingering number. Click on the next note
that you wish to assign fingering and click anywhere on the form when
finished to exit the Add Fingering mode.
Select Bar: When you click this button you can choose two bars, so that
you can delete between them, or you can choose one bar to insert a bar.
Insert Bar: Pressing this will insert a full bar at the bar that is currently
selected.
Delete: This allows you to delete all bars that are between the selected
bars, or to delete the currently selected note.
Select Note: This allows you to select a note with the mouse so that you
can move it up or down in pitch, or from side to side within the bar, or so
that you can delete it.
Move Note: Once a note is selected, or created, it can be
moved by using the Move Note buttons.
Sharp Flat (Enharmonic change): Piano Suite tries to draw sharps and
flats automatically, but occasionally you will have to correct the sharp or flat
for a different note. For example, if you wanted a D# to be written as an
Eb, then you would select that note with the note select tool and press the
inharmonic change button.
Draw note: This allows you to put a new note in a bar by clicking on the
position where you want to place the new note. The type of note that is
inserted using the Draw Note command is determined by whatever note is
selected in the Note Type list.
Velocity: Adjust the velocity setting of a selected note so
that it will sound as loud or as soft as is intended within
the piece, while the piece is played by the Piano Player.
The velocity settings range from 1-127.
Note Type: Determine what note type a selected
note should be by choosing it from this drop-down
list. The note type that you select from this list will be
displayed on the right side of the Note Type list on
the edit toolbar. Use this list to select desired note
type before using the Draw Note command. The
default note type is the quarter note.
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Edit: This button takes you to the Editor from the Piano Player.
Player: This button takes you from the Editor back to the Piano Player.
6.3 Load From MIDI
You can open any MIDI file into Piano Suite by selecting File>Load from MIDI in
Composers Corner. Browse to find the file you want to open, select it, and open into
the Load from MIDI form. In the form select the tracks individually in order to
determine which tracks are appropriate arrangements for the right and the left hand.
Transfer these tracks to the Piano Suite side of the form first, then add all other
desired tracks. Press OK and the MIDI file will automatically be converted so that the
music can be viewed, played and edited in Composers Corner. The song can then
be saved in a Custom Library and accessed later in the Piano Player to practice with
any of the learning methods.
This button switches tracks for the right hand and the left hand in the Piano
Suite box in the Load from MIDI form.
The >> button transfers all tracks from the import MIDI box to the Piano Suite box
in the Load from MIDI form.
The > button transfers only a selected track from the import MIDI box to the Piano
Suite box in the Load from MIDI form.
The < button transfers only a selected track from the import MIDI box to the Piano
Suite box in the Load from MIDI form.
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1
History Happens
History Happens is an informative and insightful look at musicians and composers
that have helped shape the course of music history. It is presented in HTML format
and is viewed using a web browser such as Netscape, or Internet Explorer - Version3
or higher (must support frames).
To begin, click on a letter shown on the keyboard image. If, for example, you want to
learn about Johann Sebastian Bach, click B and then select the composer by name
from the list which appears on the left of the screen.
Also included in History Happens is a time line of classical music, a list of classical
music from popular movies, and a guide to the proper pronunciation of composers
names.
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55
B
Games
8.0 Game Selection
When you click on the Games button on the Main screen, you are presented with a
game selection window. The options provided include Grand Staff Battle, Music
Concentration, and Semitone Says.
8.1 Music Concentration
This game asks you to match note
images to note names in the early
levels, and note images with note
placement in the intermediate levels.
If you find a match it will stay on the
screen, but if you don't find a match
it will flip the cards back over to hide
their contents. The goal is to get all
the panels flipped over. When you
enter the Concentration game
screen, you must select File > New
game to begin.
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8.2 Replay
Replay helps develop a student's musical memory, and the ability to play simple
melodies in different keys on the keyboard. This game can also be used to increase
musical memory for random note sequences for a specific area of the keyboard. The
area from which the student is tested can be selected by the instructor.
Replay begins by playing a single note, and waiting for the student to play it back.
The student plays the correct note, and Replay will play the first and the second note,
and so on. Score is increased by one point for each correct note, five bonus points
are awarded for every five correct notes, and increased by fifty for completing the
piece. The melodies are simple folk songs with single line
melodies.
8.2a How to Replay
First press the Next button to hear a new melody or random sequence. Replay will
play a note and you will need to replay the same note. Replay will play the same first
note, along with the next note in the random sequence or melody. You will need to
replay the same two notes. This will continue until the end of the melody, or until you
can no longer remember the sequence of random notes.
8.2b Replay Hints
1. Pressing Ctl-R will play the current portion of the melody or random sequence
again.
2. Whether you are using the random sequence or a melody can be changed in the
Settings.
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3. The level of difficulty can be changed in the Settings. This will allow you to select
how fast the notes are played, the zone of possible notes on the keyboard, and
whether the notes being played will show up on the on-screen keyboard.
4. Pressing Ctl-A will allow the player to attempt the whole piece (All of it) once they
believe they know the piece.
5. Pressing Ctl-N or clicking the Next button will start a new game.
8.3 Seor Semitones Grand Staff Battle
Seor Semitones Grand Staff Battle game is entered by clicking on the image of the
menacing General Midi.
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8.3a Background
Beginner students of all ages find playing frustrating at times because of their low
level of experience in several areas. Two common problems are locating notes on the
keyboard quickly by sight, and the playing of notes on the keyboard with enough
pressure and control (dexterity).
To develop skill in locating notes at sight, one should increase the number of different
notes read from the staff. This must be done over a period of weeks or months to
make a noticeable difference. It is difficult to do this in a lesson situation, because of
the time this takes out of a lesson, and because there is little to show in the way of
direct results, compared to learning to play a specific piece for instance. To develop
dexterity on the keyboard one should play a large number of short passages of music
that require all fingers, and this should be done for 15 minutes a day or more, until the
pieces that the student is playing work the fingers enough to replace the exercise. For
a beginner student the time taken to develop strength and dexterity can be two years
or more, and it is difficult to motivate students to keep playing strengthening exercises
like, 'A Dozen A Day', for this length of time. For many students this means that even
if they are improving with respect to the location of notes, understanding of timing and
tempo, their playing abilities are being held back by a lack of control over their fingers.
Grand Staff Battle was developed to improve the strength and dexterity of the fingers
(control), and the playing of notes and simple chords at sight. The arcade style of this
game makes it easy to start anew every day. Though it is a developmental activity,
this game holds the interest of 5-10 year olds for an extended period of time each
day. This game is meant to be played before the student can identify notes by sight,
and can be continued for the first two to three years of play with good effect. It is
useful to start a novice with this game on their first day.
8.3b Description
The player assumes the identity of Seor Semitone, a Spanish musician
and hero. Seor Semitone is given the task of changing dangerous
characters like snakes and scorpions into golden musical notes, by
playing their mystery pitch. One hand is used to control the movement of
Seor Semitone, while the other hand is used to locate the correct notes
on the keyboard. In order to win each level of the game, Seor Semitone
must change all five of the dangerous characters into gold notes before
the clock runs out, and before he loses three lives.
Each enemy has one weakness... if it is hit with a flying blue note that matches its
own mystery pitch, it will change into a golden note forever. If an enemy is hit with a
flying note that doesn't match its mystery pitch, it must display its own mystery pitch
on a small staff. To hit an enemy with a flying note, Seor Semitone must get close
enough and play a note on the keyboard.
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There are a few strategies novice players can use to locate the mystery pitches of the
enemies. Novices will often move up or down the keyboard, trying many keys in order
to find the correct pitch. Later, some players will zero in on the correct note using their
ear, others will notice the treble or base clef on the staff, whether the note is sharp or
flat, and these cues will speed up their search for the note. The teacher should advise
students to use strategies like this which assist in reading at sight.
Changing dangerous opponents (enemies) into gold notes isn't enough.
After each one is turned into a gold note, Seor Semitone must pick up
the gold note before the annoying monkey, in order to score. If he
doesn't get there quickly, the monkey will pick it up and take it to the
wicked General MIDI. General MIDI will trade any gold note for a
banana, but produces another enemy.
All movement of the hero is controlled with either the left or right hand on the
keyboard. If the dangerous characters bump into Seor Semitone, or if they hit him
with a note or chord, he loses one of his three lives. Avoiding being hit by moving
quickly out of the way in the correct direction, and racing to reach the gold note before
the monkey, requires finger strength and agility. Over time, without noticing the
exercise, the desired strength and dexterity is developed.
8.3c How to Play
At the start of each level, Seor Semitone will begin at the bottom center
of the screen. At the end of each level, the player must travel through the
door at the top of the screen to get to the next level.
The default setting will allow the movement of Seor Semitone by playing notes on
a keyboard connected to the computer. Only one hand should control the movement
of Seor Semitone, the other should be kept free to find the mystery note of each
enemy.
The hand you should use to control movement is indicated by the
hand symbol at the top left of your screen.
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If the symbol is of a right hand, you should position your right hand over the notes as
in the figure below. Similarly for the left hand, you should position your hand as per
the figure below. Try to use this base position and fingering at all times, and try to use
the third and fourth fingers together to move up or down.
Left end of keyboard Right end of keyboard
To control Seor Semitone with the computer keyboard, deselect the Use MIDI
Keyboard option in the Grand Staff Battle Game Settings screen. You will then use
the arrow keys to control Seor Semitone, and you will use the letter and number
keys on the computer keyboard to play notes. Refer to page19 for more information
on playing with the computer keyboard.
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After getting comfortable with moving Seor Semitone, you should begin to chase
your opponents around the screen. When you get close, play a note on the keyboard
with your free hand. Watch carefully as the enemy displays its mystery note (pitch)
on the staff. Now follow that enemy and try to play its mystery pitch. When you get the
right pitch, and the enemy changes to a gold note, use your control hand to pick up
the note before the monkey gets to it. Don't let the enemies touch you, and stay out
of the way of notes played by the enemy characters. After every five levels, the
characters and scenes will change. You must complete 15 levels to win the game.
8.3d Hints
1. Turn the background game music on or off in the Game Settings.

2. Select either the computer keyboard, or the piano keyboard as the controller, by
choosing Use MIDI Keyboard in the Game Settings.
3. Allow the mystery notes to sound or not by selecting Enemy Note Sounds in the
Settings.
4. Select the mode of difficulty in the settings before you begin a new game.
Easy will not require chords and will use pitches close to Middle C. The last five
levels require faster movement since the enemies begin to shoot notes at Seor
Semitone.
Medium uses pitches for two octaves above Middle C and two octaves below, and
uses sharps and flats. Medium level also requires two note chords in the last 5 levels.
Hard will start with two note chords and require three note chords in the last 5 levels.
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9
Personal Profile
Click on the Profile button on the Main screen to access the Personal
Profile section of the program.

Personal Profile is divided into two parts:
Theory Reports and Piano Practice Reports.
9.0 Theory Reports
Theory Reports displays your progress through the Theory Thinker and tallies your
Theory Game scores.
Step3. To view this information, click on the Theory Reports button.
Step4. By default, the reporting period is set to All. This means that the report
sheet will display a listing for every theory page that you have ever
completed and all theory games played. To display only your recent activity,
click on the drop-down list to choose a smaller period of time.
Step5. Press the Continue Button.
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Step6. Select Preview from the window that
appears and click the OK button.
Step7. If you would like to print this report,
you may do so by selecting the Print
button located along the upper-left of
the preview window.
Step8. Select Printer from the Report
Setup window and click OK.
9.1 Piano Practice Reports
This section of the program allows you to view the evaluations on every piece you
have practiced using Wait for Note and Record and Evaluate mode. As with Theory
Reports, you may choose a time period to narrow down the list of reports to view.
The Choose songs box, located on the left of the Piano Practice Reports screen
displays a list of songs that you have played.
You must specify which learning method you would like to see your evaluations for
This is done by clicking on either the Wait for Note button, or the Notes and Timing
button at the bottom of the screen.
Enter the title of the song to find a piece quickly. Type the first few letters of the
piece to reveal it in the Choose songs list. This is a useful method of locating a piece
if the list is considerably long.
To view the practice report for an individual piece, highlight its title in the Choose
songs list and then transfer it to the window on the right by clicking on the > button.
Repeat this process if you would like to view the evaluations for several songs,
selecting each song and then using the > button to place them in the right-hand
window.
If you would like to view the practice report for all the songs practiced in a given
reporting period, select the >> button. This will move the entire list to the right.
To remove any songs from the right-hand list before printing a report, select the song
title and click the < button. This will place the songs back in the left-hand list. Click the
<< button to remove all songs from the right-hand list.
To remove any songs from the report, highlight it in the right-hand list and then press
the Delete button.
Once you have prepared the documents, click the Report button. You have the option
of printing the practice report or previewing it on your computer screen.
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10
Superior Settings
10.0 User Options
In the Superior Settings window you can adjust many of the Piano Suite settings to
best suit your needs. It is here that you can choose a character to cheer you on
through the theory games.
File Location: This area of Superior Settings allows you to create libraries for custom
pieces, and copy Piano Suite libraries to other locations. File Location is described
on pages 68-70.
Network Setup: Network connection setup. Used to configure Adventus Internet
Music Studio. See Chapter 11.
Metronome: This button enables you to change the default settings for the
metronome in the Metronome Setup screen.
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Turn Voice On/Off: This button controls all automatic voice assist used with the
program, except for the theory lesson narration. When voice is turned on, you will
hear a description of each area of Piano Suite when the corresponding button is
highlighted on the Main Screen. Voice must be activated in order to hear each song
pronounced in the Song Setup menu, and the theory game characters feedback.
Turn Wait for Note Hint On/Off: This button controls the hint that appears on
screen, along with a voice recording, whenever the Wait for Note learning method is
activated in Piano Player.
Turn Note/Timing Hint On/Off: This button controls the hint that appears on screen,
along with a voice recording, whenever the Notes and Timing learning method is
activated in Piano Player.
Voice List: from here you can select the instrument list that is associated with your
keyboard or sound card. If you do not have a keyboard with a built-in sound card or
an external sound card, or your keyboard or external soundcard is not on the list,
select General MIDI, which is the list of instruments associated with your computers
built-in sound card.
Use Images: When this box is checked, it allows the images which go along with
each piece of music to be displayed.
Use Fingering: When this feature is activated, numbers appear above each note in
the Piano Player to assist in finger positioning.
Use Piano Only: When this box is checked, all pieces will be opened in Piano Player
with bright acoustic piano set as the selected instrument for both hands. You can
change the instruments for a piece, while its open, by selecting the instruments in the
Sound Setup screen. The Use Piano Only box must not be checked if you want the
pieces to be opened using their default instruments.
Default Hand Selection: By default, each musical piece has one of the three choices
of hand selection assigned to it. They are right-hand (treble clef), left-hand (bass clef),
and both hands (grand staff).This menu allows you to change this default so that
every piece opened will automatically be displayed for the hand selection that you
chose.

Set the Default Keyboard Size for the Piano Player virtual keyboard. This feature is
useful if your MIDI keyboard is a different size than the 49 key default.
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Personal Guide: Choose which animated character you would like to have appear
throughout the Theory Thinker games. Use the drop-down list to select an individual
character, choose random selection of characters, or none if you do not want to have
a personal guide.
You can also choose a personal guide by clicking on the characters image.
Password: If you did not submit a password the first time that you logged into the
program, you may enter one here.
Once a password is given, and the Use Password box is checked, you will be
prompted for your password the next time that you log in. Piano Suite will not open
under your name unless your password is entered correctly. You can also change this
password in Superior Settings and the new password will be required the next time
the program is opened under your name.
The main advantage of a password is that it prevents other people from entering the
program under your name and thus altering your evaluation.
Teacher Options: This area of the settings form is available only to the person who
logs into Piano Suite as Teacher, and is disabled for all other users. These options
allow the teacher or parent to customize certain features of Piano Suite for specific
students. Refer to Chapter 11.
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10.1 File Location
The File Location section enables you to change the location of where your own
compositions are stored, and allows you to import other compositions. It is also used
to copy all of your piano playing records, and theory records to another location. It is
particularly useful to teachers so that they may receive students work for viewing on
their own PC.
Current Library Location: This is where all custom library files are saved, and
opened from.
Custom Library: This library contains the music that you recorded and saved in
Composers Corner. The Custom Library can also be set up for opening songs that
you have obtained from other sources.
You can copy your compositions to another library, such as a floppy disk, so that they
can be accessed by another Piano Suite user.
Step1. Click on the File Location button to enter into the File Locator screen.
Step2. Select Custom Library.
Step3. Make sure that the correct location is selected in the edit box below Current
Library Location. If you have not previously created new library locations,
Piano Suite Default should appear as the only option.
Step4. Click the Copy to button.
Step5. In the screen that appears, browse to select the A: drive.
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Step6. Type in the name for the new library in the edit box labeled, Destination to
copy to. If there already is an existing library shown under Contents of this
Folder that you want to copy over, you can select that library as the
destination to copy to.
Step7. Click OK to open the Library Copy Form.
Step8. In this screen, you have the option of copying the entire library, or
individually select pieces to be copied. Refer to page 64 for information on
using this type of form.
Step9. Click OK when you are ready to copy your files.
To receive a custom library from a disk, perform the following steps.
Step1. While in the File Locator screen, select Custom Library and click the New
button.
Step2. Select the Lookup Library button.
Step3. Locate the A: drive and select the library.
Step4. Click OK.
The library on the A: drive that you selected will now be shown as the default under
Current Library Location. This will now redirect Piano Suite to the library on the A:
drive when opening any custom library pieces.
The Create Library button appears as a Custom Library option after the New button
has been selected. This command is used to create a new custom library to save your
compositions to. If you choose to use a custom library other than the Piano Suite
default, perform the following steps.
Step1. Click on the Create New Library button.
Step2. In the window that appears, assign a name and location for your new library.
The Remove button is used to exclude custom libraries from the list under Current
Library Location. To do this, select the library location that you wish to remove and
click the Remove button. Although the library will be deleted from the list, it will not
be deleted from your computer.

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Player Evaluation Records: Your Piano Player evaluations include every piece that
you have practiced and saved while in Wait for Note, or Notes and Timing mode. The
File Location feature allows you to copy these records for backup, or for use on
another computer.
Follow these steps to copy your Player Evaluations to another location.
Step1. Click on the File Location button to enter into the File Locator screen.
Step2. Select Player Evaluation Records.
Step3. Select the time frame of the records to consider in the Records From drop-
down list. All of the time periods listed include every evaluation from the
selected date to the present.
Step4. Click on the Copy to button.
Step5. Enter the new name and location for the records in the edit box labeled
Destination to Copy to. Piano Suite will first create the new file with the
name you assign it, and then copy the records to that file. For example, to
save the records to a file called 4teacher on the A: drive, choose the A:
drive for the path using the browse directory, and type: 4teacher, under
Destination to Copy to. Do not use special characters such as . , ; : ? /
< > in the name, and try to keep it short.
Step6. Press the OK button.
Step7. Your records for those pieces are now transferred to A:\4teacher. Your
teacher can now load these records onto his/her computer.
If you wish to copy to A:\4teacher again at another time, repeat steps 1-4. Locate the
A: drive, then select 4teacher from the list, and click OK.
Theory Records: This contains all your Theory Thinker evaluations. To copy Theory
Records to disk, select Theory Records from the File Location screen and follow the
previous steps: 3-7.
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10.2 More Ways to Customize Piano Suite
You can customize the opening music by locating the directory in which you installed
Piano Suite (by default, this directory would be C :\ Program Files). From there, go
to: Adventus \ Piano Suite \ Sound \ Midi. Put the MIDI files that you would like to
hear as the opening music in the Midi folder. Remove any unwanted MIDI files. Piano
Suite will randomly select a MIDI file from this folder to play as the opening music.
A sound is produced whenever the mouse pointer is over a button on the Main
Screen. You can change this sound right clicking on each button to open the Change
Instrument window. Right click on the instrument image to open a drop-down list of
sounds to choose from. The pitch and velocity can also be adjusted by playing the
MIDI keyboard or by dragging each of the sliders.
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11
Piano Suite for the Classroom
Several Features are provided within Piano Suite Premier to facilitate an instructor-led
classroom lesson. An ideal strategy for learning is a combination of self-paced
practice and Instructor-led lessons. The following classroom features were designed
to work well in a computer lab environment in a school or music conservatory, and
over the Internet. There are obvious advantages to both. This set of features was
named Adventus Internet Music Studio.
There are three fundamental sections of Piano Suite designed for teaching in a
classroom:
1. Teacher settings, which allows the teacher to control certain features for specific
students.
2. Student Profiles, which allows the teacher to view and print detailed records of
student accomplishments.
3. Classroom (Management), which allows teachers to manage a class of students
on a Local Area Network (LAN) or over the Internet. The number of students can
range from 1 to 32, and smaller numbers are better in general.
The teacher or student can access the classroom features by pressing the
Classroom button on the main Piano Suite form. The teacher settings can be
accessed by pressing Superior Settings on the main Piano Suite form, and the
Student Profiles can be accessed by pressing the Personal Profiles button on the
main form of Piano Suite.
11.0 Teacher Settings
Teacher settings are ideal for teachers and parents who want to guide and oversee
the progress of any other student. You must log in as Teacher to access this mode
of Piano Suite.
The following options are available in Superior Settings (refer to Chapter 11) when
in Teacher mode:
Lock Fingering off: This will disable the fingerings option for selected students. It
is recommended that this mode be used with early players who are prone to relying
on fingering. Use the fingering initially to increase speed, and as the students
remove fingering to ensure the student is becoming comfortable with the notation
symbols themselves.
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Lock Images off: This will turn off images for selected students, allowing more room
for music notation on the display. Young players enjoy the illustrations with each
piece, and their interest in each piece is very important. It takes a young novice
longer to learn a beginner piece, and the longer they are interested in the piece for
whatever reason, the easier it is to motivate them to master it completely. The
decision to move to a new piece for interests sake, before mastering the current
piece is a subjective decision which should be made carefully. The ability to play a
piece well is very motivating, as is learning a piece of special interest to the student.
Lock Games off: This will disable all games for selected users.
Force Lessons in Sequence: This will force selected users to only progress through
Theory Thinker Lessons in order.
Force hands used: This will force selected users to always use the hands selected
in the drop down menu next to the Force hands used caption. The choices are: Both
hands, Right Hand, or Left Hand. This is sometimes useful when testing students
level of play.
Edit User Information: This button allows the teacher to delete users and edit
passwords.
Apply Setting to All Users: This button will apply the current settings to all Piano
Suite users on that PC.
Select Users to Apply to: This button allows the teacher to select specific users to
apply the new options to.
11.1 Student Profiles
When logged in as Teacher, extra settings are available in Personal Profiles for
both Theory Reports and Piano Practice Reports. The teacher can choose among
all the registered users to report on and can select a report period more specific than
that available to regular users. This makes it easy to report for a school term, for
specified exercises, for all selected students on any PC.
11.2 Adventus Internet Music Studio
Adventus Internet Music Studio helps you to succeed with a greater number of
students in your classroom lesson. With automated scheduling, remote monitoring
tools, and an electronic dictation book this innovative solution can also help you
deliver group lessons over the Internet to students around the world.
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Adventus Internet Music Studio is available only
in Piano Suite Premier **. Classroom features
allow the teacher to be virtually present at the desk
of each student, as long as they are connected to
the teacher on a local area network (LAN), or over
the Internet. A teacher working on their own PC
can: see each students screen, monitor what each
student has been working on, speak and listen to
selected students, take control of student
workstations, receive student interactive feedback
and results, provide electronic dictation books which
guide a student easily through the intended activities
for the lesson, and more.
11.3 Adventus Internet Music Studio
for the Online Student
By connecting to the Internet, the student gains
access to music schools and qualified instructors all
over the world. A variety of conservatories with a
variety of instructors make it fun to find the right
teacher for you. And with the help of Piano Suite
the on-line instructor(s) you find can accelerate the
process of becoming an accomplished piano player.
11.3a Student Requirements
The following items are necessary for proper
use of this application:
- Personal computer running Windows 95 or later, Pentium 150MHz, 32Meg
RAM or better
- MIDI keyboard and cable
- Piano Suite Premier with Adventus Internet Music Studio
- Internet connection, 56Kbps or better
- Speakers or optional headset
- 100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card
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11.3b Start-Up
Adventus Internet Music Studio is designed for use over the Internet or over a LAN
(Local Area Network) connection. Internet use is for those who are being connected
to a teacher from a remote online school or conservatory. A LAN connection is
generally the appropriate connection option for use of Internet Music Studio within a
classroom. Follow the steps for your appropriate connection option below. The
teacher connection should be a higher-speed connection, such as DSL or cable, in
order to allow for compressed audio, MIDI and video transfer to one or several
students. The LAN classroom requires TCP/IP to be installed. The first use of the
Music Studio features over the Internet requires a one-time registration procedure,
in order to identify each student that will be using each workstation over the Internet.
Once this registration is completed, it does not need to be repeated for that student.
Fill this information in carefully, since it will be used for scheduling and support issues
later.
Internet Start-up:
Step1. After starting up Piano Suite go to Superior Settings and press the
Network Setup button.
Step2. Under Network Connection Type select Internet Connection, and set
appropriate buffer size. Press Apply, then OK. High speed connections
require less of a buffer. Some buffer is normally required over the Internet
to avoid jerky reception of audio, MIDI or video.
Step3. Exit the settings screen and click on the Classroom icon on the Main
Screen.
Step4. In the Net Login screens complete all of the registration forms and press
continue.
Step5. When the registration has been completed, and a lesson has been
requested from your favourite school, call your selected music school or
conservatory to schedule a lesson. At the correct time for your lesson,
press the Classroom button on the Main Screen in Piano Suite. The
Classroom Control Panel will appear.
Step6. In the Classroom Control Panel press the Connect button. This will
connect you to your instructor and allow you to use the Classroom tools. If
the connection is unsuccessful, the Classroom Controls will not function.
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LAN Start-up:
Step1. After starting up Piano Suite go to Superior Settings and press the
Network Setup button.
Step2. Under Network Connection Type select LAN. Set the Server IP to match
your teachers IP address and set an appropriate buffer size. Too small a
buffer may result in jerky reception, too large a buffer will cause
unnecessary delay before your playing reaches the instructor. Press Apply,
then OK.
Step3. Exit the settings screen and press on the Classroom button on the Main
Screen. The Classroom Control Panel will appear.
Step4. In the Classroom Control Panel press the Connect button. This will
connect you to your instructor and allow you to use the Classroom tools. If
the connection is unsuccessful, the Classroom Controls will not function.
11.3c Classroom Tools
The Classroom tools available to the online student are Mic. Test, Broadcast,
Send/Receive, Dictation, and Chat.
MicTest: allows the user to test his/her microphone setup to ensure its proper
operation before the lesson. Press the microphone button to
bring up the simple test window. When the test window appears,
speak into your microphone until you see graphics appear at the
sound of your voice. Students do not require a microphone, but
it is more convenient than the chat for individual lessons over the
Internet.
Broadcast: gives the student the ability to communicate verbally with the teacher. To
activate the Broadcast tool press the Broadcast button on the
Classroom Control Panel screen. Speaking into the separate
microphone or the mouthpiece on your headset will automatically
broadcast your voice to the teacher. If the teacher is busy
speaking with another student, or to the entire class the
Broadcast button will not function.
Send/Receive: allows the student to receive dictation books and
dictation book information by downloading the updates from the
teachers computer. To activate the Sent/Receive tool press the
Send/Receive button on the Classroom Control Panel screen.
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Dictation: allows the student to read the lesson activities that the
teacher has provided in the dictation book. The dictation book is
edited by the teacher and opened in the Classroom Control
Panel. Dictation books are automatically provided on connection,
but can be updated in the middle of a lesson by pressing the
Send/Receive button.
Chat: allows the student to type a message to the teacher during
a lesson. If the teacher is busy with another student the tool
button will not be operable. If the tool button is operable the
student can activate the tool and send typed messages instantly
to the teacher. To activate the Chat tool press the Chat button on
the Classroom Control Panel screen.
11.4 Adventus Internet Music Studio for the Teacher
Now you can connect to students all over the world for productive, enjoyable lessons.
Build up your student base and schedule your class time to suit your own
preferences. Take advantage of the global market for music instruction by registering
with conservatories or music schools in any location. Once each lesson is scheduled,
both you and your students can connect with one click of a button.
It has never been this practical to deliver instrumental music instruction in a
classroom setting. With Piano Suite providing comprehensive teaching tools, rich
with thoughtful interactive learning activities and unlimited content, you are not limited
to teaching music theory and composition in a classroom. Your students can make
excellent progress with their sight-reading and learning to play by ear, something
which is normally too difficult to attempt in a classroom setting. Keep students
motivated and progressing, using the most sophisticated set of teaching tools
available.
11.4a Teacher Requirements
The following items are necessary for proper use of this application:
- PC running Windows 95 or later, Pentium 150MHz, 32Meg RAM or better
- Piano Suite Premier with Adventus Internet Music Studio
- High-speed Internet connection (DSL, Cable, or equivalent)
- Headset with microphone, or separate speakers and microphone
- MIDI keyboard and cable (highly recommended)
- 100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card
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11.4b Start-Up
Adventus Internet Music Studio is designed for use over the Internet or over a LAN
(Local Area Network) connection. Internet use is for those who are being connected
to a teacher from a remote online school or conservatory. A LAN connection is
generally the appropriate connection option for use of Internet Music Studio within a
classroom. Follow the steps for your appropriate connection option below. The
teacher connection should be a higher-speed connection, such as DSL or cable, in
order to allow for compressed audio, MIDI and video transfer to one or several
students. The LAN classroom requires TCP/IP to be installed.
Internet Start-up:
Step1. After starting up Piano Suite go to Superior Settings and press the
Network Settings button.
Step2. Under Network Connection Type select Internet Connection, and set
appropriate buffer size. Press Apply, then OK.
Step3. Exit the Superior Settings screen and click on the Classroom icon. Press
the Net Login button then complete all the forms with the appropriate
information and press continue.
Step4. The third form you will come across will allow you to select a conservatory
you would like to look at. At that point you will select one and press the
Register button.
Step5. You will then need to interact with the conservatory web page to register and
set up a schedule with that conservatory.
Step6. If you decide to register with a conservatory, the next time you press the Net
Login button in the Classroom Control Panel you will be prompted to
select a conservatory out of a list of conservatories with which you are
registered. Select one and connect. Then you are ready to be connected
with students who choose you as their teacher.
Performance Note:
The ideal buffer size depends on the performance of the teacher and student
connection. If the buffer size on either end is set too small it may result in jerky
playback of compressed audio, MIDI, or video. If the buffer is set too large, there
will be an unnecessary delay between when students play and when the teacher
hears student play. Virtual real-time playback of MIS ensures that student
playback is smooth once it begins to play on the teachers system. Since MIDI
uses a small amount of bandwidth, the teacher may opt to decrease the buffer
size, for less delay, while using the audio sparingly in a class. The chat tool may
be sufficient for this purpose, depending on the students and teacher. The most
student-friendly solution is to use higher bandwidth services on both ends.
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LAN Start-up:
Step1. After starting up Piano Suite go to Superior Setting and press the
Network Settings button.
Step2. Under Network Connection Type select LAN Connection, give your IP
address, and set appropriate buffer size. Press Apply, then OK.
Step3. Exit the Superior Settings screen and click on the Classroom icon. Press
the Net Login button and when you are finished you will be connected to the
LAN network and ready to work with your students
11.4c Internet Tools
The Internet tools are Review, Control, Receive, Broadcast, Send/Receive,
Dictation, Chat.
Microphone Test: allows the user to test his/her microphone
setup to ensure its proper operation before the lesson. Press the
microphone button to bring up the simple test window. When the
test window appears, speak into your microphone until you see
graphics appear at the sound of your voice. .
Review: allows the teacher to see what a selected student is
doing during the lesson. When the review tool is activated a
window pops up showing the selected students screen, a minute-
by-minute history of student activity and the time the student
spent in each activity. To activate the Review tool press the
Review button on the Classroom Control Panel screen.
Control: allows the teacher to control the students computer
within the Piano Suite window. When under the teachers control
the students Piano Suite follows the teachers. The Control tool
operates only in the Main Menu, Piano Player, Theory Thinker,
and Composers Corner sections of Piano Suite. The Control
tool is automatically deactivated when the Review tool, the
Receive tool, or the Send Receive tool is activated. Activating the Control tool
always brings both the teacher and the selected students to the Main Menu. To
activate the Control tool press the Control button on the Classroom Control Panel
screen. A teacher may decide to use the Control tool to move a student to a different
activity. For example, if the teacher wants to hear a student play the first 8 bars of a
certain piece, the teacher can click control, go to the piece themself, select the first
8 bars, the learning method, the tempo, then press Receive to hear the student play
the piece. This may be simpler than verbally explaining the activity, specially with
novices over the net.
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Receive: allows the teacher to hear and see MIDI material that
the selected student is working with in real-time. The Receive
tool deactivates the Control tool. To activate the Receive tool
press the Receive button on the Classroom Control Panel
screen. The Receive mode will be active until deactivated by the
teacher, or until another student is selected.
Broadcast: allows the teacher to broadcast his/her voice to all
students selected in the Student List in real-time. First select the
students you which to speak to. Then activate the Broadcast tool
by pressing the Broadcast button on the Classroom Control
Panel screen.
Send/Receive: allows the teacher to access selected student
records and allows the teacher to send new dictations and
relevant files (ex. MIDI arrangements composed by the teacher)
to selected students. The teachers current Dictation Book is
sent to all students on connection to the teacher, but the teacher
may want to update one or more specific students with a different set of class
activities. To send a new Dictation Book part-way through a lesson, load the new
dictation book, then instruct the intended student(s) to press Send/Receive to pick it
up. At the end of the class, the instructor can use Send/Receive to pick up student
records from all connected students.
Dictation Book: allows the teacher to record audio and text
instructions into an interactive dictation book that can be linked to
sections of Piano Suite so that the student is able to find exactly
what he or she is to practice easily and without confusion. The
Dictation Book can be sent to students at the start of a session
or partway through a session using the Send/Receive tool.
Chat: allows the teacher to communicate, in text, to selected
students. To activate the Chat tool select the student(s) you wish
to communicate with, then press the Chat button on the
Classroom Control Panel screen. To send text to a student,
type the text in the lower text box, and press Send.
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11.5 Benefits for the Music Conservatory
Adventus Internet Music Studio is the most effective delivery system for individual
or group, piano or keyboard lessons.
Why Use Adventus Music Studio at your Music School or Conservatory?
1. Market your own brand of quality instructor-led music lessons globally.
2. Experience low start-up costs, maintain existing lesson administration.
3. Provide lessons at the students home, allowing more participation.
4. Provide group lessons to lower the cost of lessons to students.
5. Schedule lessons easily, register teachers and students quickly.
Requirements
The following items are necessary for proper use of this application:
- Personal computer running Windows 95 or later
- Internet connection (high-speed recommended)
- Internet Lesson Scheduling Tool, by Adventus Incorporated
- Register your music school with Adventus, including registration of at least
one instructor available for lessons over the Internet, and Adventus will send
you a custom scheduling tool. Use this secure system to schedule
individual and group lessons for all your instructors up to a year in advance.
Advertise your teachers specialties and your music school to all Piano Suite
users, accessible via the Internet.
11.6 Online Educational Resources
Take advantage of instructor lesson plans and tests now available online at
www.adventus.com! The Adventus web site now provides teachers and students
with additional tools and information for learning and enjoyment. Have a look at the
latest music education information, MIDI connection information, and press releases.
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12
Music Recorder
The Music Recorder is a four track MIDI recording program that allows you to record
one track at a time, edit this recording, and then record another track. You can
choose from 128 different instrument sounds, plus a full set of percussion and drum
kit sounds. When you are finished recording, you can playback your entire piece and
hear the full orchestration that you have created.
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12.0 Recording
You will be performing your composition on a MIDI keyboard. Be sure that your MIDI
keyboard is plugged in, the power on the keyboard is turned on and the keyboard is
configured correctly. For help with setting up your keyboard, click on Setup >
Configure MIDI. Once the Keyboard Config Wizard starts, select Start and then
follow the directions to successfully setup your MIDI keyboard. To record a new song,
follow these steps:
Step1. To select a time signature (the default time signature is 4/4) click on Setup
> Metronome and then select the desired time signature. Click on the OK
button and continue on to step 2.
Step2. .Select which track you would like to record on by clicking on the
track with the mouse, or by clicking on the Track Indicator Light.
The circle will turn from green to red, and the track will become
white to indicate that it is active.
Step3. To select an instrument for this track, place the mouse
curser over the button that has a picture of an instrument on
it, and then press the right mouse button (a list of available
instruments will appear). Select one of these listed
instruments by clicking the instrument name using the left
mouse button. Click on the OK button and try out your
selection by playing on the MIDI keyboard.
Step4. Select a desired tempo by clicking on the tempo selection indicator. Move
it to the right for a faster tempo and to the left for a slower tempo.
Step5. Click on the record button that is located at the upper left corner of
the Music Recorder and press any key on your MIDI keyboard to
start the metronome count down. If you are using the 4/4 time
signature, you will hear four metronome clicks before you can begin
recording.
Step6. After you hear the metronome count-in, begin playing your composition on
your MIDI keyboard along with the sound of the metronome. (Playing with
a steady beat to the sound of the metronome takes practice, so do not get
discouraged if you are not able to do this perfectly the first time!)
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Step7. When you are finished recording this track, click on the stop button which
is located beside the record button. You can now click on the return button
and then listen to your recording by clicking on the play button. You are now
ready to record your second track. If you want to make changes to your
recording, see the section below entitled Editing Your Recording.
Step8. To record a second track for your piece, click on an empty track
with your mouse and follow the above procedure. You will hear the
first track that you have recorded as you add your new track. If you
do not want to hear the first track you played while recording the
second track, click on the mute button.
Step9. To record a drum track, right click on
the instrument selection button, change
the MIDI channel to channel 10 and then
click on the OK button. Experiment to
find out which drum sounds will work
best for your drum track. To rehearse a
track before recording, click on the play
button and play along with the tracks that
you have previously recorded. When you
are ready, click on the record button and
record your drum track.
Step10. When you have finished recording the tracks for your song, select File >
Save, type in a name for your composition, select a location for your file and
then click Save.
12.1 Editing Your Recording
The following describes the tools that are available to you for editing your recording.
Move: place the mouse cursor (hand) over your recorded material, grab it
and position it within the same track.
Erase: place the mouse cursor (eraser) over your recorded material and
remove this material from the track.
Scissors: place the mouse cursor (scissors) over the track and cut your
recorded material so that it is now in two separate pieces. (you can cut a
track into several different pieces.
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Here is an example for using the above tools while recording:
After recording a track, you decide that you do not like what you have recorded in
measures three and four. Click on the Scissors button and then cut your recorded
material at the beginning of measure three and at the end of measure four. Now
select the Erase button and remove the recorded material from measures three and
four. You can now click on the return button, and then the record button. Begin the
metronome count-in by pressing any key on the MIDI keyboard. Listen to measures
one and two, and then play the MIDI keyboard during measures three and four. You
can now click on the stop button. Listen to the newly added material. If you are still
satisfied, erase the new material and try again.
12.2 Recording More Than Four Tracks
It is possible to record more than four tracks! You can do this by recording over
material that already exists on a track. Keep in mind that you can have only one
instrument sound for each track.
The following is an example of using the above recording technique.
Step1. Record a right hand part for piano on track one. You can now also record a
left hand piano part over the top of this previously recorded material.
Remember that you can always erase the new material using the erase tool
and try again if you are not satisfied with your performance!
Step2. Record a drum track by selecting MIDI channel 10 and then playing the
drum sounds using your MIDI keyboard. After you have recorded the sounds
for the drum set, go back and record some percussion sounds over top of
the original material recorded on the this track.

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13
Phantom Piano Player
The Phantom Piano Player allows you to listen to any of the pieces included in the
Piano Suite music library while the keyboard image graphically illustrates the keys
being played. You also have the option of changing the settings for each hand to hear
how a piece sounds using various instruments and different tempos.
This program is run separately from Piano Suite and is opened by selecting
Programs > PianoSuite > Phantom Player from the Start menu.
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Category: Click on the arrow to see a drop down list of all the categories available
in Piano Suite. Choose a category by clicking on it.
Songs to Load: Once you have chosen a category you can select a piece by double
clicking on the title.
Play: After choosing a piece click the play button to listen to it.
Stop: Stops the playing of the piece and resets it to the beginning. The Stop
button deactivates Random Play mode.
Pause: Stops the playing of the piece. The piece will resume at the same
position when the play button is clicked again.
Random Play mode: Continuously plays a variety of randomly selected
pieces from the category that you have chosen. To cancel Random Play
mode, click this button a second time, or click the stop button.
Time Slider: Move the slider forward or back to go to another part of the piece.
Tempo Slider: Adjust the tempo of the music by clicking and holding the slider as you
move it left or right.
Right Hand: Select different instruments from the menu that appears
when this button is clicked.
Left Hand: A duplicate button performs the same function for the left hand.
Volume: Use the sliders to adjust the volume of the left and right hands
independently